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MS in the family

24 September 2013

For the next issue of our newsletter, Open Door, we’re going to be focusing on MS in the family. MS is typically diagnosed when people are in their twenties and thirties – that is, when many people are thinking about settling down and starting families. The stress and uncertainty of MS can really test these relationships. As MS affects the internal connections of your nervous system, your external connections, with parents, partners and children, can become even more important.

The MS Trust has a range of useful resources to help with family issues. We have information specifically designed for parents with MS, young people and children. However, for this issue of Open Door, we’re particularly keen to talk to parents of people with MS. An increasing number of enquiries to our information service come from parents of someone diagnosed with MS. They’re often worried, keen to help in whatever way they can, but sometimes unsure about the best way to go about it.

Are you a parent of someone with MS? How did you cope with your son or daughter’s diagnosis? What helped you, and what might have improved things? What do you know now that you wish you’d known then? Alternatively, if you have MS yourself, how did you let your parents know? And how do you let them know the best way to help you?

We’d love to hear your experiences: they could be really useful for other people going through, or about to go through, the same challenges. Share your thoughts in the comments box below and, if you’re happy for us to do so, we’ll feature some of the most interesting stories in the next issue of Open Door.